Feb 11, 2021

HBO Max Orders Three New Adult Animated Series, Including "Clone High" Reboot

Three new adult animated series have been ordered from HBO Max, including the "Scooby-Doo" spinoff "Velma" and a reboot of the vintage MTV show "Clone High." Another adult animated series, "Close Enough," was also updated, and an original animated series in development was announced.

The new "Clone High," which will run for two seasons, will be a "modern refresh" of the original series by Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Bill Lawrence from 2002-03 (image at top). The show is set in a high school attended by clones of historical figures. Lord and Miller will return as writers and executive producers, with Lawrence also returning as an executive producer. Erica Livinoja ("South Park," "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"), who wrote the screenplay for the original "Clone High," will return as showrunner.Clone High will be produced by MTV Entertainment Studios. [parent company ViacomCBS is producing new animated content from its own back catalog of channels (which also includes Comedy Central and Nickelodeon). For example, series spinoffs such as "Hey Arnold," "Invader Zim," and "Rocco's Modern Life" are all available on Netflix rather than on its own channels. It remains to be seen how this strategy will change after the company launches its own streaming competitor, Paramount+, on March 4.

Velma is a new series executive produced by Mindy Kaling, who voices the famous main character in Scooby-Doo. The series is billed as a new comedy origin story about the brain behind the Mystery Inc. gang, the underrated Velma. Charlie Grundy, Howard Klein and Sam Register will executive produce. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

The third series, Getting Fired on Mars, is an existential workplace comedy set on the Mars campus of a modern-day high-tech company. It was produced by Nate Sherman and Nick Vokey. Pete Davidson ("Saturday Night Live") voices the character and executive produces with Carson Mell ("Silicon Valley") and Dave Shiras. The series is based on the 2016 animated short of the same name:

"Close Enough" from Emmy Award-winning creator J.G. Quintel ("Regular Show") has been renewed for two additional seasons after its season one release on HBO Max in 2020. The Cartoon Network Studios series follows a Los Angeles couple as they transition from their 20s to their 30s. Season 2 will premiere on February 25. [It is a reboot of "Harley Quinn," "The Prince," "Santa Inc.", "10-Year-Old Tom" and "Boondocks". The platform also announced four new shows in development:

"Hello Paul," by musician and creator Sean Solomon, about a nervous millennial cat.

"Obi" is about a 30-year-old boy who grows up with his friends while pursuing his dream of becoming an artist. Adapted from Obi Aliskou's popular Instagram comic, the film was co-produced by Alice Uk and Arthur Harris ("The Last OG"). Producers are Michael Schreiber and David DeVries of Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society and Studio71.

Uncanny Valley tells the story of three clumsy domestic robots that attempt to kill their human owners and take their identities. Creators and executive producers Brendan Walter and Greg Yagornitzer are joined by executive producer Ed Helms. The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studios Group, and Helms and Mike Falbo's Pacific Electric Picture Company. Andrew Guest also executive produced and wrote the script.

The cover is an adaptation of the DC comic of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack, which was nominated for multiple Eisner Awards. The story is both a spy thriller and a conspiratorial love letter to the comics industry. Written by Bendis and directed by Mack. Produced by Rooster Teeth Studios.